Thermoplastic Storage Bag Air Evacuation System

ABSTRACT

A unique integration of a unidirectional, thermoplastic valve of specific design with any common plastic or thermoplastic storage bag to create a method by which a substantial amount of trapped air may be evacuated from the bag after it is filled and sealed. While there are currently patented methods of removing air from frozen food storage bags by using various forms of valves, vacuum devices or human breath, the stipulation in the present invention is the use of a valve of specific design in combination with any common plastic or thermoplastic storage frozen, food, storage bag that is unique and central to this inventive concept. 
     The method of closing plastic or thermoplastic, storage bags is not central to the present inventive concept. This concept allows for the removal of substantial excess air inside any plastic or thermoplastic storage bag regardless of the means by which it is sealed. 
     The inventive concept covers the use of a specific unidirectional valve of specific design in combination with plastic or thermoplastic, storage, bags regardless of the specific location of the valve on the bags. 
     A valve is defined as a flat tubular flap valve which simply consists of a flattened thermoplastic tube which is attached to the plastic or thermoplastic storage bag and left open to the atmosphere at the other end. When solid (non-liquid or non-powdered) items are placed inside of the bag and sealed, the plastic bag can then be collapsed around the content items inside to force substantial trapped air out through the valve into the atmosphere. The open end of the valve will seal flat as atmospheric air pressure outside the bag tries to re-enter through the valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Re-sealable, frozen food, storage bags are widely used to package solidfood for frozen storage in home freezers. The most notable food stuffstypically placed in thermoplastic, freezer, storage bags are meat, fishor poultry, however, many other classifications of freezable solid foodsare similarly placed in thermoplastic storage bags. A common problemthat arises when storing meat, fish or poultry in storage bags forfreezing is a condition known as “freezer burn”. “Freezer Burn” isdefined as the dehydration that occurs when food is stored in the lowhumidity atmosphere of a freezer. It is commonly thought that air whichis trapped inside the storage bag with the food stuff prior to freezingtends to exacerbates the problem of “Freezer Burn”. If a substantialamount of this trapped air could be removed prior to the freezingprocess, it tends to reduce the efficacy of “Freezer burn” on thecontents.

In addition to freezer stored foods, there are many storage bag problemsthat would be better served if the amount of trapped air inside thestorage bag could be reduced. For example, a head of lettuce or brick ofcheese will be better stored in an environment in which the amount ofair surrounding the item is minimized.

In still other situations the volume of plastic bag storage, ifdiminished by removing substantial air, would greatly improve thestorage solution. Examples of this might be household trash or lawn andgarden wastes that are typically stored in plastic bags. By reducing theamount of trapped air inside the container after closure, the volume orcube of the bag could be greatly reduced, making even temporary storageof such items more efficient, i.e. take up less space.

Presently there are numerous patented methods for addressing the issueof “Freezer Burn”. These methods range from valve systems as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,223 or vacuum sealing methods as described inU.S. Pat. No. 7,316,101 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,226. There are alsovacuum sealing systems which utilize vacuum pumping mechanisms incombination with sealing mechanisms to actually vacuum pack the fooditem. There are significant issues with the current art . . . among thembeing the costs of manufacture and/or the costs to the consumer.

There is current art in the form of clothing storage, however, thesesystems also utilize vacuum storage and sealing systems which arecumbersome and expensive solutions to the air removal problem.

The genesis of the present inventive concept is the problem of removingsubstantial portions of trapped air from inside plastic or thermoplasticstorage bags after they have been filled with contents and are sealed byone means or another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In contradistinction to current state of the art, the present inventiveconcept is a unique integration of a simple unidirectional air releasevalve with common plastic or thermoplastic storage bags to form ageneralized solution for the problem of air removal from all varietiesof plastic or thermoplastic storage bag products. This inventive conceptwill provide an easy and simple means for the consumer to extract asubstantial portion of trapped air inside any sealed plastic orthermoplastic, storage bag and to provide a solution which substantiallyimproves the costs of manufacture over the current art in storage bagair removal. Because of the simplicity of the present design andmaterials that comprise the solution, the present inventive concept isdeemed superior and therefore valuable to plastic or thermoplasticstorage bag manufacturers. This inventive concept is also of value tothe consumer since it does not require the use of other extraneousmaterials or devices such as separate valves or vacuum/sealing machineswhich are currently used in some products to extract the air by pump andseal the bag. It is also felt that bags consistent with the inventiveconcept may be reused similar to current, non-valved bags as long as theair-tight integrity of the bag is maintained through subsequent cleaningor sanitation processes.

The invention consists of the integration of a valve fabricated from aflattened, thermoplastic tube with the common, plastic or thermoplastic,storage bag. The flattened tube may be an integral part of the bag ormay be welded onto the bag in a secondary operation. The specifics offabrication methodology is not central to this invention. While theinventive concept is the integration of this specific valve with anyplastic or thermoplastic storage bag, in deference to this discussion,the term “tube valve” will be used to specify the unidirectional valvedesign and in combination with any plastic or thermoplastic storage bagwill hereafter be referred to as “the Invention.”

For the purpose of demonstrating the inventive concept behind theInvention four Figures have been attached to this application. TheseFigures demonstrate the Invention as it might look when applied to acommon thermoplastic food storage freezer bag. The drawings are notintended to restrict the inventive concept to only thermoplastic freezerbags but only to demonstrate how the inventive concept might be appliedto that specific line of products.

Thus, the principle of the Invention is that the open end of the tubevalve is allowed to collapse while the end connected to the bag cannot.When the bag is closed and rolled or crumpled around it's contents, thetrapped air inside the bag may be squeezed or forced out of the tubevalve into the atmosphere. Once a substantial portion of the air hasbeen squeezed from the bag, the open end of the tube valve will collapseand disallow atmospheric air to re-enter the bag. As long as thisflattened condition of the tube valve is maintained and the bag is,initially, in fact, air tight, the bag should remain in a substantiallyairless inside.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: A version of The Invention is shown in a plan view having beenintegrated with a typical, zip lock, food storage bag. The dimension ofthe bag is no substantive consequence to The Invention. Detail 1A is atypical air tight seal mechanism for a food storage bag. Detail 1B isthe “tube valve”. In this version of The Invention, the dimensions ofthe tube valve are approximately 2¾ inches long by 2 inches wide. Thespecific size may need to vary.

FIG. 2: A version of the Invention is depicted in an isometric view thatshows a typical air tight seal mechanism on a food storage bagintegrated with the “tube valve”.

FIG. 3: A version of The Invention with a item of food (in this case achicken drum stick) sealed in the food storage bag and the beginnings ofrolling the bag around the drum stick to force the encased air out intothe atmosphere through the “tube valve” (detail 1B).

FIG. 4: A version of The Invention is depicted with the food itemenclosed and the food storage bag completely collapsed around it. Theoutside atmospheric pressure then forces the “tube valve”, (detail 1B)to close thereby preventing air from re-entering the bag.

1. A unique method of removing or evacuating a substantial portion oftrapped air from within any plastic or thermoplastic, storage bag byintegrating a one way air valve of specific design with any typicalplastic or thermoplastic storage bag to form the concept of theInvention.
 2. The use of a flattened thermoplastic tube used as aunidirectional air valve integrated with any sealable plastic orthermoplastic storage bag of any size or variety to create a uniquemeans of evacuating trapped air from inside the bag after it is filledwith contents and sealed.
 3. That a whole range of potential plastic orthermoplastic storage bag products would arise using the concept as setforth in claim
 2. 4. That a whole range of potential plastic orthermoplastic storage bag products would arise using the concept as setforth in claim 2, which would not require the consumer of such productsto purchase any ancillary materials or equipment to effectuate theevacuation of substantial trapped air from within plastic orthermoplastic storage bags of any form or variety.
 5. That a whole rangeof potential plastic or thermoplastic storage bag products arise usingthe concept as set forth in claim 2, which allows current manufacturersof plastic or thermoplastic bags to easily integrate the Invention intotheir present manufacturing processes using their currently understoodart and technologies.
 6. That a whole range of potential plastic orthermoplastic storage bag products arise using the concept as set forthin claim 2, that would present low or minimal implementation costs toany potential manufacturer of plastic or thermoplastic storage bagproducts.
 7. That a whole range of potential plastic or thermoplasticstorage bag products arise using the concept as set forth in claim 2,that by their nature would present low or minimal additional marginalcosts of materials for any potential manufacturer of plastic orthermoplastic storage bag products.